Category: Human Interest Stories

My "Chopin Year" (August-to-August) ends of auspicious date (Aug 11) My first new Belgrade piano recording, Chopin Waltz in G-flat, part of Chopiniana Well, if I did not experience it myself, I would have had a hard time believing it. In just 4 days, I learned to play one of Chopin's masterpieces - the Waltz …

I did not tell anyone at the time, but there was another spiritual reason I chose the white music angel. It was its brand name - HOFFMAN. I felt my spirit guides were had already picked it before I left Arizona. For reasons yet to be revealed. But I always obey them even if I don't understand why at first.

Well, it's happened again. Just like back in March 2011, when the sound of my then new Tibetan bowls inspired me to record Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata with them, what happened yesterday led to another unusual musical match - church bells and Smetana. And this is how it happened. My nephew Bora Nestorov, a pianist and …

Inspiration from a Neighborhood Muse A few nights ago, I got an email from a new friend and neighbor. One of the things she enclosed was a link to a wonderful recording by Andrea Bocelli of a song I knew as "Godfather" (movie) theme. I have not played it in years. And hearing it again …

MEMORY FLASHBACK TO STUDENT UPRISING 50 YEARS AGO An American in Serbia: From a Writer’s Notebook FLOOD OF MEMORIES As I was walking yesterday to Kalenić Market, I stopped in front of my old university building to take a picture (see VISIT TO ANCESTORS’ GRAVE SPAWNS SERIES OF EXCITING EVENTS, July 25, 2018). This morning, as …

My tuner Mića Vasiljević came back today to tune my new white Hofmann piano, which he also delivered to me on July 9, and adjust some left pedal and keyboard issues I have noticed in the last two weeks.
And here are now the first sounds out of my "new and improved" instrument. To me, it sounds MUCH BETTER. And it plays better, too. So from now on, you can only blame me for any faux pas. 🙂

Music is everywhere... even the unwelcome kind (construction noise) "THE SWAN" ON KNEZ MIHAJLOVA It seems whenever and wherever I go in Belgrade, music finds me. This afternoon I strolled along Knez Mihajlova street to my favorite ice cream stand in front of the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences building. And while I was …

The evening was like a musical fairytale, full of magical moments and even music under candlelights Last night, we held our first "soirée musique" (musical evening) at my Belgrade flat. We started around 8 PM and the party lasted till midnight. The soirée was outstanding in all respects. Like a musical fairytale, The performers and the …

TRIPLE MOZART RONDO: 6 hands on 3 white pianos play the Turkish March
Friday, July 6, my third day back in my native city, was a day of new beginnings. And continued spiritual and musical ascent.
In the morning, I trodded on foot to Bajloniјеva Pijaca (a farmer's market in my neighborhood). I returned from the outing refreshed and rejuvenated (for reasons why and the full story, see... BELGRADE REJUVENATES).
In the afternoon, I joined my nephews, Stasa and Bora, both gifted pianists, on a "hunt for a white music angel" - the piano for my Belgrade flat which would add the ethereal dimension to a beautiful Paris salon-like apartment.

After the turbulent 2011-2012 period, followed by a calming year (2013), I did not feel the need for any more external stimulation. I felt I was getting all the guidance I needed directly from my spirit guides. It was not until late 2015, that things happened which made me suspect that King James VI and …